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The One Who Sins Will Die

18 The word of the Lord came to me:2 “What do you people mean by quoting this proverb about the land of Israel:

“‘The parents eat sour grapes,and the children’s teeth are set on edge’?

3 “As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, you will no longer quote this proverb in Israel.4 For everyone belongs to me, the parent as well as the child—both alike belong to me. The one who sins is the one who will die.

5 “Suppose there is a righteous manwho does what is just and right.6 He does not eat at the mountain shrinesor look to the idols of Israel.He does not defile his neighbor’s wifeor have sexual relations with a woman during her period.7 He does not oppress anyone,but returns what he took in pledge for a loan.He does not commit robberybut gives his food to the hungryand provides clothing for the naked.8 He does not lend to them at interestor take a profit from them.He withholds his hand from doing wrongand judges fairly between two parties.9 He follows my decreesand faithfully keeps my laws.That man is righteous;he will surely live,declares the Sovereign Lord.

10 “Suppose he has a violent son, who sheds blood or does any of these other things[a]11 (though the father has done none of them):

“He eats at the mountain shrines.He defiles his neighbor’s wife.12 He oppresses the poor and needy.He commits robbery.He does not return what he took in pledge.He looks to the idols.He does detestable things.13 He lends at interest and takes a profit.

Will such a man live? He will not! Because he has done all these detestable things, he is to be put to death; his blood will be on his own head.

14 “But suppose this son has a son who sees all the sins his father commits, and though he sees them, he does not do such things:

15 “He does not eat at the mountain shrinesor look to the idols of Israel.He does not defile his neighbor’s wife.16 He does not oppress anyoneor require a pledge for a loan.He does not commit robberybut gives his food to the hungryand provides clothing for the naked.17 He withholds his hand from mistreating the poorand takes no interest or profit from them.He keeps my laws and follows my decrees.

He will not die for his father’s sin; he will surely live.18 But his father will die for his own sin, because he practiced extortion, robbed his brother and did what was wrong among his people.

19 “Yet you ask, ‘Why does the son not share the guilt of his father?’ Since the son has done what is just and right and has been careful to keep all my decrees, he will surely live.20 The one who sins is the one who will die. The child will not share the guilt of the parent, nor will the parent share the guilt of the child. The righteousness of the righteous will be credited to them, and the wickedness of the wicked will be charged against them.

21 “But if a wicked person turns away from all the sins they have committed and keeps all my decrees and does what is just and right, that person will surely live; they will not die.22 None of the offenses they have committed will be remembered against them. Because of the righteous things they have done, they will live.23 Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign Lord. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live?

24 “But if a righteous person turns from their righteousness and commits sin and does the same detestable things the wicked person does, will they live? None of the righteous things that person has done will be remembered. Because of the unfaithfulness they are guilty of and because of the sins they have committed, they will die.

25 “Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ Hear, you Israelites: Is my way unjust? Is it not your ways that are unjust?26 If a righteous person turns from their righteousness and commits sin, they will die for it; because of the sin they have committed they will die.27 But if a wicked person turns away from the wickedness they have committed and does what is just and right, they will save their life.28 Because they consider all the offenses they have committed and turn away from them, that person will surely live; they will not die.29 Yet the Israelites say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ Are my ways unjust, people of Israel? Is it not your ways that are unjust?

30 “Therefore, you Israelites, I will judge each of you according to your own ways, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent! Turn away from all your offenses; then sin will not be your downfall.31 Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, people of Israel?32 For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent and live!

A Lament Over Israel’s Princes

19 “Take up a lament concerning the princes of Israel2 and say:

“‘What a lioness was your motheramong the lions!She lay down among themand reared her cubs.3 She brought up one of her cubs,and he became a strong lion.He learned to tear the preyand he became a man-eater.4 The nations heard about him,and he was trapped in their pit.They led him with hooksto the land of Egypt.

5 “‘When she saw her hope unfulfilled,her expectation gone,she took another of her cubsand made him a strong lion.6 He prowled among the lions,for he was now a strong lion.He learned to tear the preyand he became a man-eater.7 He broke down[b] their strongholdsand devastated their towns.The land and all who were in itwere terrified by his roaring.8 Then the nations came against him,those from regions round about.They spread their net for him,and he was trapped in their pit.9 With hooks they pulled him into a cageand brought him to the king of Babylon.They put him in prison,so his roar was heard no longeron the mountains of Israel.

10 “‘Your mother was like a vine in your vineyard[c]planted by the water;it was fruitful and full of branchesbecause of abundant water.11 Its branches were strong,fit for a ruler’s scepter.It towered highabove the thick foliage,conspicuous for its heightand for its many branches.12 But it was uprooted in furyand thrown to the ground.The east wind made it shrivel,it was stripped of its fruit;its strong branches witheredand fire consumed them.13 Now it is planted in the desert,in a dry and thirsty land.14 Fire spread from one of its main[d] branchesand consumed its fruit.No strong branch is left on itfit for a ruler’s scepter.’

Submit Yourselves to God

4 What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?2 You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God.3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

4 You adulterous people,[a] don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.5 Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us[b]?6 But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:

7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.9 Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom.10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

11 Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister[d] or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it.12 There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?

Boasting About Tomorrow

13 Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.”14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.15 Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”16 As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil.17 If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.

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